Even as the Mid Manair Dam (MMD) project is nearing completion, the irregularities in the payment of compensation for the project oustees have been resurfacing all too often.
In 2008, the officials had escalated the valuation of the houses of the project oustees against the normal valuation at Kodumunja village in Vemulawada mandal. The amount ran into crores. Following its exposure by the whistle-blowers, the government had ordered a vigilance inquiry and had taken action against 14 officials, including filing of a criminal case against an EE-rank officer.
With the Kodumunja scam still afresh, another irregularity has surfaced at Shabashapalli village in Boinpalli mandal. The officials have escalated the cost of the houses running to several crores. The houses that would be submerged under the MMD project at Shabashpalli village and valued at ₹35.10 lakh in 2008 have now been revalued at ₹4.85 crore.
Official sources said a house, which was valued at ₹7.36 lakh in 2008, was now valued at ₹1.20 crore. Similarly, a house that was valued at ₹60,000 in 2008 was now revalued at ₹65 lakh, to be paid as compensation to the oustees. The officials also made payment to the land oustees in the last one week in connivance with the revenue officials and local leaders.
There are a total of 223 houses in the village, but the officials have escalated the cost of the old houses in connivance with the local elected representatives causing a serious loss to the State exchequer.
CID probe sought
Lok Satta district president N. Srinivas said they had written to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao requesting him to order a CID probe into the irregularities in the payment of compensation and escalation of the cost of houses. “The irregularities at Kodumunja and Shabashpalli villages have come to our notice, but there are irregularities in the payment of compensation in all villages,” he said and demanded that the government arrest the corrupt officials and seize their properties disproportionate to their income as the State exchequer was misused for their selfish gains.
